Excalibur Rising

Avalon

Chapter 9

The room stayed completely still, no one daring to breathe as they watched Xenia mourn her child, her tears of grief pooling in the corner of her eyes before dripping onto Xandria’s smooth forehead. Her face was unlined and ageless as it was tilted backwards so that all of them could look upon her face in death. That is if they dared.

 Parents pulled their children tighter to them as they stared on with widened eyes, glad that it hadn’t been their child but at the same time feeling heartbreak for the grieving woman. All of their eyes dared not look at the limp girl within her arms, their eyes trained steadily on the mother and the woman trying to release her grip on the child. It was because of this that no one realised that the lids of Xandria’s had opened and her fingers twitched as they hung towards the floor.

A raspy cough came from the girl’s throat as she blinked and the irises transformed from the swirls of blue and violet to pure gold, the colour reflecting the light that shined on them through the windows overlooking the street but yet no one seemed to notice as her over the sobs. She opened her mouth to speak once more only for a raspy wheezing to issue from her mouth. Xenia grief-stricken body stilled as she held her breath before daring to glance down. She looked into the golden eyes as the face looking back at her smiled slightly. Xenia gasped before squeezing her tighter to her.

“Oh baby girl I was so worried.” She whispered pulling her into a death grip but quickly loosed her hold when a voice that was so unlike her daughter’s flowed from her lips.

“Be still child, and calm yourself. I am not your daughter.” The voice was rich and pure, the inflections within the soft timbre setting everyone present at ease whilst the hairs of the backs of their necks rose. Xandria’s hands moved up as she brushed hair from her mother’s face and stared into her eyes looking much like a parent trying to comfort a child. “Do not worry she is safe, but the task she tried to undertake is too much for one who has not ascended. I prevented her death and have taken possession to complete the ritual needed for she is too close to ascension and if I allowed her to continue she would be lost beyond even my doing and I care for her too deeply, like I do for all of my children.”

Xenia snivelled as she stared at the stranger within her daughter. “Who are you?” she questioned as her brows furrowed though if the easing of the tension around her mouth was anything to go by, she was obviously relieved by the turn in the events.

“I think you know daughter.” The dark locks swayed as Xandria pushed herself to her feet and she surveyed the people in the room with a motherly smile, as if she were looking down upon her children. “I am Excalibur.” She opened and closed her mouth a few times as if she were trying to wet her mouth. “It is most strange to be speaking through a vessel; the last time was more than two millennia ago.” She shook her head from side to side.

“Oh my, I never thought I would ever witness something like this.” Magpie murmured before bowing down before the vessel so that her forehead touched the carpet.

Excalibur smiled down at her loyal follower before bending and taking her hands so that she was back on her feet. “Daughter, never kneel before me, you have dedicated your service to me and the protection of the earth. If anyone should be lowering themselves it should be me.” She patted her hands before releasing them. She then turned to face the others. She caught the eye of several people including Colton and smiled at them whilst her arms outstretched. “Come my children, time is of the essence and if we are to survive we must make haste.”

Immediately all of the remaining seven who had not reached ascension stepped forwards even though some parents reached out to pull their children back, bewildered by what was occurring. Emily, Lila, Colton, and four others stepped forward so that they were standing before Excalibur waiting for instruction. She smiled at them again with the motherly look which made Colton shift slightly not too comfortable with the fact that someone else was speaking through Xandria.